Long jail term threatens: Shakira trial opened in Spain
The contents in the “archives” were created and posted by the previous owners of this website. We are not responsible for any misleading or incorrect content that is posted here.
Long prison sentence threatened
Shakira trial opened in Spain
9/27/2022, 5:15 PM
According to the Spanish authorities, Shakira would have evaded 14.5 million euros in taxes. The singer denies that, a judge in Barcelona is now opening the trial against the 45-year-old, who will soon have to answer to court.
The day is approaching when pop singer Shakira will appear in the dock in Spain on charges of tax evasion. A judge in Barcelona formally opened the trial against the 45-year-old today, the judiciary announced. Prosecutors have demanded against Shakira a total of eight years and two months in prison and a fine of 23.8 million euros. The artist has repeatedly protested her innocence.
The trial will be conducted before the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona, which corresponds to a regional court in Germany. That court will also set a date for the start of a hearing once Shakira’s lawyers have submitted their letter of defense, Europa Press news agency reported.
Out-of-court settlement rejected
Shakira announced in July that she had rejected an amicable settlement with the tax authorities in her adopted country. This paved the way for the musician’s trial. She is accused of evading a total of about 14.5 million euros between 2012 and 2014.
However, the artist from Colombia has repeatedly described herself as innocent. She dismissed the charges as a “total violation” of her rights. She is the victim of a “bitter persecution”. But she is confident that justice will eventually agree with her, Shakira said in July.
Singer denies staying
The key question is where the Colombian was taxable in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Justice says: in Spain, because in each of the three years she stayed there for more than half a year. The singer denies that.
Shakira confirms that she was living in the Bahamas at the time. She visited her then partner, football star Gerard Piqué of FC Barcelona, with whom she now has two children and from whom she is now divorced, only repeatedly in Spain. It was only from 2015 that she lived permanently in Barcelona. In addition, she has since paid all taxes plus interest. In 2018, Shakira transferred a total of 17.2 million euros to the Treasury.
